Green Belt around Astana to be extended

Unused land around Astana will serve as tree planting grounds, Tengrinews reports citing the press service of Akorda. A retreat in Astana’s "green belt" was held on July 1. During the meeting, President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev discussed the progress and prospects of further development of the green zone around the capital.

"Trees have been planted on the territory of more than 3.6 thousand hectares along the route from Astana to Schuchinsk. I have instructed that all the lands once occupied and still not used were allotted for planting trees in these areas. Our task is to plant treesin the city and around it, and to preserve them. If there are enough resources, the green area around Astana can be eventually connected to the forest in Borovoye," Nazarbayev said.

The President urged every citizen of Kazakhstan to plant at least one tree. The president visited Kyzylzharsky forestry Zhasyl Aimak. 150 pheasants and bustards were released that day. Besides, there are 18 red and fallow deers in the Astana forest zone.

Nazarbayev said that few people believed that it was possible to plant a real forest in the barren steppe around the city when the project was just beginning. But a "sound approach, had work of foresters and scientists" has proved fruitful. Currently, the total area of woodlands near Astana created in the period from 1997 to 2013 makes 70,000 hectares, of which about 15,000 are in the city limits and the remaining 55,000 are outside. It is planned to bring this area to 100,000 hectares by 2020.

Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasised that this development was especially important in light of the EXPO-2017 to be hosted Astana.